Warriors: United
by LionRoaR
Summary: "Four will become five when the stars begin to search for freedom."   Many cats in the four Clans by the Lake have seen the effects of prejudice and Clan rivalries, and Lilypaw feels she has to do something about it. Will she choose her Clan or her heart?
1. Prologue

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Warriors or any of the ideas associated with Erin Hunter. This story is simply written for my enjoyment and the enjoyment of anyone who reads it. Thanks and hope you enjoy the story :) - LionRoaR.

**Warriors: United**

:.~*~.:

**Prologue**

The surface of the lake was glistening in the pale light of the moon. Stars reflected in its surface like a thousand burning eyes, twinkling as they watched from the sky. The leaves of the deciduous trees rustled happily in the wind, a sure sign that Leafbare had given way to Newleaf at last. The cold season had ended. A mist was spreading from the edges of the lake, almost like an exhaled breath in the cool night. Four cats were gathered on the lakeshore, their eyes glistening in the darkness.

"Lastsong…" One of the cats, a dark tabby tom, turned to the dark tabby beside him. Lastsong turned, his pale amber eyes narrowed slightly.

"It's not everyday we share dreams," he mused, glancing at the lake surface, "StarClan must have a message for us all."

"Do you think something bad will happen?" One of the younger cats asked, her eyes wide. She shifted from paw to paw, her golden fur rippling with silver in the moonlight.

"Maybe, Poppyflight," Lastsong sighed, his brows furrowing, "It's hard say until StarClan shows us what we have gathered to see." The four cats stood in silence, staring out over the water. Suddenly the lake lit up, as if the stars were bursting within its surface. Lastsong gasped as he watched dozens of stars gathering in the water. Finally they formed four giant stars, like shimmering suns in the water. The gathered cats stared at the figures, their eyes wide. Suddenly parts of the four suns began breaking off, forming a whole new orb. A voice filled the air, cold and haunting.  
><em>"Four will become five when the stars begin to search for freedom."<em>

The scene around the four cats vanished in a flash of light. The cats each opened their eyes to see that they were no longer beside the lake, but sitting in a semicircle around a shimmering pool. A moment of silence passed before Poppyflight spoke.

"Do you have any idea what this is all about?" She asked, looking at the other medicine cats.

"I'm not sure what it could mean," the other she-cat said with a sigh.

"I feel that something is coming…" Lastsong murmured.

"Well," the dark tabby tom shook his head and glanced at Poppyflight, "I'm going back to ShadowClan. If you learn anything new about this prophecy, then you know where to find me." Dipping his head, the tom turned and began to make his way back.

The other medicine cats looked at each other and then sighed.

"Wait up, Milkyeye!" Lastsong called. He turned and smiled at the two she-cats. "Regardless, I don't think it's anything bad. So let's put it behind us for now, shall we?" Poppyflight nodded enthusiastically, but the cat beside her seemed unconvinced.

"I don't feel right ignoring signs from StarClan, Lastsong." She meowed tartly.

"Nor do I, Whisperingbreeze. But I hope that the prophecy will be understood with time." The three cats looked at each other, each looking undecided. Finally Lastsong dipped his head and turned to walk after Milkyeye. He caught up with the ShadowClan medicine cat soon enough. Milkyeye turned, revealing his blind eye, which was almost entirely white in the dim lighting.

"So how is that sister of yours?" He asked gruffly.

"Firelight is good, thank you," Lastsong replied as he began walking beside his friend, "Her kits will be born soon."

"Hawkwing is excited, I assume?"

"He won't leave the nursery half the time. It's quite annoying, really." Lastong sighed irritably. Milkyeye grinned.

"I remember when my brother's mate had her kits. I think he was panicking more than Snowflower."

"It's to be expected, I suppose." Lastsong paused. They had come to the place where they would part ways. He let out a soft sigh and turned to face his friend. "If something happens, let me know, will you?"

"Of course," Milkyeye replied evenly, "Am I a cat or a fox? I wouldn't leave a friend in the dark." A mischievous glimmer shone in the tom's eyes. He butted his head against Lastsong's shoulder, causing the other tom to smile.

"You take care of yourself, Milkyeye."

"And you, as well, Lastsong."

Lastsong watched as Milkyeye vanished into the shadows of the forest. Then, with a soft sigh, he began his trek back to camp. As he climbed the last slope on the way to the ravine, he heard a commotion coming from ThunderClan's camp. Alarm flared up in the tom's chest and he quickened his steps. As soon as he slipped into the camp, at least four cats ran up to him, their eyes wide.

"It's Firelight!" A warrior named Bluefur said, "Her kits are coming!" Lastsong rushed towards the nursery at once, ignoring the other cats crowding around him.

Slipping into the den, he padded up to his sister. He was surprised to see his herbs already sitting beside her. Lastsong glanced at Hawkwing, but he couldn't blame the tom for being too prepared. Plus, it saved him having to ask someone to get his stores for him.

"Lastsong…" Firelight murmured, turning to smile at her brother. "Everyone is causing such a fuss over me."

"It's not every day a queen gives birth. It's a special occasion."

"Is it?" Firelight breathed, resting her head back on the edge of her nest, "That's nice to know." Lastsong brushed his paw against her flank, feeling the contractions moving through her body. He was surprised at how his sister was baring the pain. She seemed to be resigned to it, her eyes closed and her ears flicking back every few seconds. Lastsong was immediately worried for her. Would she have the strength to get through the birth?

"Take a deep breath, Firelight. Stay with me." He said, giving her muzzle a gentle lick. She blinked her eyes open at him and smiled.

"I'm trying not to upset Hawkwing."

"I think he will have to live with it, sister, because your bravery is upsetting _me_." Lastsong nuzzled Firelight affectionately, and then went back to feeling for the kits. He kept one paw on her flank and used the other to push some herbs towards Hawkwing.

"Chew those up for me, will you?" He mewed without glancing at the panicking tom. He figured giving Hawkwing something to do would get him out of his fur for the moment. Lastsong soothed Firelight as best as he could. He was glad that Hawkwing had brought a stick with him as he had advised before, just in case of instances like this.

"Here," Lastsong mewed, "The first kit is coming. Bite down on this." Firelight obeyed at once, looking up at him with wide, trusting eyes. A ripple passed through her body and she shuddered, her jaws clamping on the stick, as the first kit slid out into the nest. It mewled pitifully as it was passed to one of the other queens, Maplesun.

"It's a tom," she said warmly. The next kit born was a little grey she-cat. She whined softly as she was licked, worming her way towards Maplesun's belly, searching for milk. "Not yet, little one," the queen purred.

"Is it over?" Hawkwing asked, nudging the leaves of chewed up herbs towards Lastsong.

"Nope," Lastsong replied evenly, "I think there's still one more."

"You think?" Maplesun echoed, surprised.

"It's hard to tell. Must be a small kit…" Lastsong murmured. He encouraged his sister as she bit down on the stick and groaned softly. Lastsong felt the contractions strengthening, and then smiled as the last kit came. It was beautiful, with white fur and lots of little ginger and grey patches on her face and legs. The second Lastsong licked the film from the kit's mouth, the little she-kit let out a powerful yowl. Lastsong almost thought he had heard the same sound in her cry as he had in his dream that same night.

"Four will become five…" He murmured softly to himself, never once looking away from the kit. And for a moment, he imagined that when the she-kit moved her head towards him, she was seeing him, though her eyes were still shut. There was something about this kit, he thought…

"StarClan has a great destiny for you." The moment he said it, the kit seemed to realize where it was and began moving towards her mother. Joining her two littermates, she began suckling, looking small and sickly next to her much healthier siblings. But as Lastsong looked at her, he couldn't help but think she would be stronger than any cat could imagine.

* * *

><p>Author's Note:<p>

Thank you for reading my story. The idea for this story has been plaguing me for awhile now, and it was one of the few stories I did NOT lose when my computer was stolen. So I've been concentrating a lot on this one. I really love _Warriors _and I always look forward to making up my own stories about it. Maybe someday I'll be the next Erin Hunter, eh? ;) Hahaha. Well, I hope you liked this little beginning and are looking forward to the rest of the story. Please review/fav! Thanks!

-LionRoaR

**Allegiances **

_(Note that these are subject to change and will be re-posted accordingly. _

_For now they are designed to help you understand the story _

_better by referring to these characters in later chapters.)_

**ThunderClan**

**Leader: **Redstar – dark ginger tom with green eyes

**Deputy: **Howlingwind – brown tabby tom with amber eyes

**Medicine cat: **Lastsong – dark grey tabby tom with pale amber eyes

_Apprentice, Lilypaw_

**Warriors:**

Bluefur – silver she-cat with thick dark stripes

Firelight – dark tortoiseshell she-cat with large ginger patches

Cliffshadow – dark tabby tom with amber eyes

Swifteyes – grey tabby tom with pale yellow eyes

_Apprentice, Nightpaw_

Hawkwing – dark tabby tom with grey eyes

_Apprentice, Fallingpaw_

Juniperbelly – dark tabby she-cat with white belly fur

Briarheart – tortoiseshell she-cat with green eyes

**Apprentices:**

Lilypaw – white and tabby tortoiseshell she-cat

Ashpaw – solid grey she-cat with white belly fur

Nightpaw – black tom with amber eyes

Fallingpaw – light tabby she-cat with grey flecks

Roaringpaw – dark tabby tom with amber eyes

**Queens:**

Maplesun – ginger she-cat with amber eyes

**Kits:**

Swiftkit – light grey tom with dark stripes (Maplesun)

Leafkit – dark tortoiseshell she-cat (Maplesun)

**Elders:**

Yellowpatch – tabby she-cat with large ginger spots

Adderfang – dark tabby tom with an overgrown tooth

**RiverClan**

**Leader:** Ghoststar – dark grey tom with grey eyes

**Deputy: **Longstream – light tabby tom with white belly fur

**Medicine cat:** Whisperingbreeze – silver she-cat with green-blue eyes

**Warriors:**

Hollowtree – brown tom with green eyes

Rainshadow – golden tabby tom with dark blue eyes

Silvermoon – grey tabby she-cat with bright blue eyes

Sighingwind – black and white tom with amber eyes

Darkmoon – black and white tom with dark grey eyes

_Apprentice, Wolfpaw_

Troutscale – silver tom with amber eyes

Leopardsun – caramel-and-black-speckled brown she-cat

_Apprentice,_ _Hailpaw_

Streamstone – light grey she-cat with dark patches

Ottertail – tabby tortoiseshell tom with blue eyes

Flametail – dark ginger tom with amber eyes

_Apprentice, Echopaw_

**Apprentices:**

Wolfpaw – black tom with thin yellow eyes

Hailpaw – tortoiseshell tom with grey eyes

Echopaw – long-furred dark grey she-cat

**Queens:**

Rivertail – brown tabby she-cat

**Kits:**

**Elders:**

Jayflight – dark grey tom with grey-blue eyes

Skystorm – tabby she-cat with blue eyes

**WindClan**

**Leader: **Kitestar – black and white she-cat with amber eyes

**Deputy: **Dustcloud – light brown tom with grey eyes

**Medicine cat: **Poppyflight – golden she-cat with amber eyes

**Warriors:**

Adderfrost – grey tom with dark flecks

_Apprentice, Sablepaw_

Morningcloud – light brown she-cat

Rippedface – brown tom with scars across his face

_Apprentice, Shrikepaw_

Cherviltail – ginger and white she-cat

Cheetahfoot – sandy colored she-cat with dark spots

Pinefrost – red furred tom with white belly fur

_Apprentice, Reedpaw_

Onyxshadow – black she-cat with blue-grey eyes

_Apprentice, Whisperpaw_

Hareleap – brown tom with white patches

Mousewhisker – grey and white tom with amber eyes

**Apprentices:**

Sablepaw – dark grey she-cat with green eyes

Shrikepaw – black tom with narrow grey eyes

Reedpaw – black tom with brown eyes

Whisperpaw – tortoiseshell she-cat with green eyes

**Queens:**

Whitefire – white and tabby she-cat with dark amber eyes

**Kits:**

Icekit – white she-cat with dark amber eyes (Whitefire)

Bramblekit – red tabby tom with amber eyes (Whitefire)

**Elders:**

**ShadowClan**

**Leader:** Swallowstar – dark grey tom with blue eyes

**Deputy: **Windwhisker – grey she-cat with black eyes

**Medicine cat: **Milkyeye – dark tabby tom with one blind white eye

_Apprentice, Sightpaw_

**Warriors:**

Snowflower – white and tabby she-cat with dark brown eyes

Mistshadow – dark grey she-cat with grey eyes

_Apprentice, Shallowpaw_

Dogjaw – dark tabby tom with a large lower jawbone

_Apprentice, Swanpaw_

Whistlingwind – dark grey she-cat with green eyes

_Apprentice, Ravenpaw_

Brackentail – tabby tom with amber eyes

Owlfeather – long-furred tabby tom

_Apprentice, Ratpaw_

Shadowstripe – dark tabby tom with plain amber eyes

Nettlelight – red tabby she-cat with amber eyes

Stormsky – dark grey tabby tom with blue eyes

**Apprentices:**

Sightpaw – lightly striped grey tom

Shallowpaw – dark grey tom with dark stripes around his eyes

Swanpaw – white she-cat with narrow black eyes

Ravenpaw – dark grey tom with blue eyes

Ratpaw – dark brown tabby tom with light stripes

**Queens:**

Darklight – black she-cat with light amber eyesn

**Kits:**

Jaguarkit – black she-cat with blue eyes

Moonkit – light grey she-cat with black eyes

**Elders:**

Mangefur – plain brown tom with wiry fur

Starlingfeather – grey and white she-cat with pale amber eyes

**Cats Outside the Clans**

**Rouges**

Jars – dark tabby tom with narrow yellow eyes

Curse – grey tabby she-cat with grey eyes

Smoky – dark grey tom with black eyes

Scythe – dark tabby tom with black eyes

Amalia – white she-cat with cold green eyes

Boone – red-furred tom with brown eyes

**Loners**

McKay – white tom with black and brown patches

Beloved – golden tabby she-cat with blue-grey eyes

Sphinx – dark tortoiseshell she-cat with blue eyes

**Kitty-pets**

Lilith – silver she-cat with blue eyes

Blanche – crippled white she-cat with brown eyes

Lion-O – black and white tom with amber eyes

Jagger – black tom with blue eyes, lives at the Horse-place

**Other Animals**

Shadow – a Border collie that works as a sheep dog


	2. Chapter One

**Disclaimer:** I do not own 'Warriors,' nor do I own any of the ideas associated with Erin Hunter. Thanks for reading and hope you enjoy! :D - LRR**  
><strong>

**Warriors: United**

:.~*~.:

**Chapter One**

The woodlands were warmly lit, and the scent of prey ran thickly from the undergrowth. Leaves rustled happily; their laughter echoed through the forest and danced between the fronds of ferns where a small she-cat crouched. Her large green-blue eyes were slightly downturned, giving the young cat a sad sort of expression, and her soft mostly-white fur was speckled with elegant patches of black and ginger and tabby. She blended into the undergrowth well enough, though it was mostly due to her small stature. Pricking her ears, the she-cat listened for any signs of movement in the forest.

"Lilypaw!" A voice called, floating on the wind like a leaf, tossing and turning gracefully as the trees sang around it.

"Coming!" Lilypaw darted out of the bush, running in the direction she believed the voice had come from. Her eyes shone as she slipped underneath thorn bushes, the tendrils and brambles feeling strangely soft and comforting instead of rough and sharp, like they usually were.

"There you are," the voice purred. Lilypaw emerged into a small clearing and found the owner of the voice sitting on a smooth stone, her tail curled neatly around her white paws. The tabby she-cat was sleek but well built, with the proud shoulders of a ThunderClan warrior but the intelligent eyes of a medicine cat.

"Whitefeather!" Lilypaw padded quickly up to the beautiful cat, taking in the soft white patch over Whitefeather's cool green eyes. She was covered in the white spots, making her look like her fur was speckled with piles of snow.

"Hello, Lilypaw." Whitefeather's voice was calm and affectionate, as it always seemed to be. The she-cat leaped off of her perch and met Lilypaw, leaning down to touch noses with the apprentice.

"Lastsong was impressed with how fast I recognized burdock root today," Lilypaw mewed. "It's all because you showed me." Whitefeather smiled and licked Lilypaw's ear gently.

"I'm glad my lessons are helpful to you. You've always been an eager student, ever since you were a kit." Whitefeather purred as she looked down at Lilypaw.

"You helped me realize my dream," Lilypaw asserted, "Without you, Lastsong wouldn't have taken me as his apprentice."

"I wouldn't say that." Whitefeather brushed Lilypaw's ears with her tail, smiling softly as she made her way into the forest. Lilypaw paused for a moment, and then she raced after her. The two walked in companionable silence until Whitefeather stopped beside a pretty-looking plant with light colored petals.

"This is yarrow," Whitefeather told her.

"Oh! Lastsong told me that yarrow is good for making cats throw up." Lilypaw looked up at Whitefeather, who smiled.

"Yes, it is," she mewed. "But it is also a very powerful healing herb. Not many medicine cats know this, but if you press the stem against a wound, it will stop the bleeding."

"Really?" Lilypaw's eyes widened considerably. Whitefeather gave her a slight nod and then began gently teasing the roots out of the ground with her claws.

"Lastsong says that you can just bite through the stems," Lilypaw meowed, confused. Why would Whitefeather make harvesting the plants harder by digging them up instead of just breaking them off their roots?

"Harvesting the stems can be as important as harvesting the leaves," Whitefeather meowed sagely, "You want them intact for healing purposes. As I said, most medicine cats don't know this, and that's why they can't seem to grasp the concept of preserving the stems."

"Wow," Lilypaw breathed, watching Whitefeather skillfully uproot the plants. She passed some to Lilypaw so that she could sniff it and study its scent. Even though Lastsong had shown her the plant already, it seemed different with its stem attached. There were somehow more possibilities.

"Here, come watch." Lilypaw followed Whitefeather over to a smooth tree trunk that lay across the forest floor. The medicine cat stretched the stems across the trunk, rubbing them in gently, slitting them with the very tips of her claws, and then holding them in place. She prompted Lilypaw to count out loud with her, and after about twenty seconds had passed, Whitefeather removed the stems and turned to the apprentice beside her.

"And that's how you can use them to heal wounds." Lilypaw nodded enthusiastically. Whitefeather smiled at her fondly, and then the two padded back into the forest together. At Whitefeather's request, Lilypaw told her about her day, how Lastsong had told her about yarrow and burdock, and how he'd shown her how to make poultices for long journeys where the cat would need strength, just in case they were needed. Whitefeather was a patient listener. She rarely commented, and usually spoke only to ask a question. When they had reached the edge of the woods, Lilypaw's throat felt sore from talking. She looked up at Whitefeather and smiled.

"I'll see you tomorrow night," she meowed happily. Whitefeather purred and dipped her head down to draw her tongue across the apprentice's forehead.

"Until then," she murmured, watching as Lilypaw turned and darted into the hazy edge of a new, very different forest.

"Lilypaw! Lilypaw, wake up!" Lilypaw groaned and rolled onto her side, muttering. She felt a paw prodding her side and tried to bat it away feebly.

"I wanna sleep," she grumbled.

"But Lastsong says you have to help me clean the Elders' ticks before he takes you out for training." Lilypaw rolled over and opened her eyes so that she could take in her sister's large form. Ashpaw was the biggest apprentice in ThunderClan. Her shoulders were broad and powerful, and she had long legs and somewhat floppy ears with white tips that stood out a lot in contrast to her stark grey fur.

"Ashpaw, have you ever heard that saying about the clawing the messenger's ears…?"

"You're a medicine cat, Lilypaw," Ashpaw said with a twitch of her whiskers, "And even if you weren't, you're too small to beat any cat in a fight, let alone me." Even though she knew it was true, the words still stung Lilypaw a little. She heaved herself to her paws, trying not to look as irritated as she was.

"You really aren't a morning cat, are you?" Ashpaw mused as the two of them padded out of the small briar bush next to Lastsong's den where Lilypaw slept. Lilypaw didn't reply, assuming that to be a rhetorical question. She slipped into Lastsong's den to fetch the mouse-bile. It didn't take long to prepare—it never did. Whitefeather had shown her a really clean, effective way to extract it. Lastsong had watched her a few times and then had started to use the same method, cutting a specific place on the mouse's side.

"Nasty stuff," Ashpaw muttered as she picked up her own stick with a wad of moss stuck to the end. Lilypaw finished soaking her own moss ball with the bile, and then nodded for Ashpaw to lead the way. The Elder's den was tucked into a series of meshed tree branches and brambles. Lilypaw slipped into the den and looked around for the two Elders that were usually sitting there. Only Adderfang was present, his cool amber eyes looking amused.

"Yellowpatch went out for a walk with Bluefur," Adderfang meowed, "She'll be back soon, I expect. That cat's got the stamina of a young warrior but the temper of an old, sour-faced badger."

"I heard that," a voice rasped behind Lilypaw and Ashpaw. The two cats stepped aside to make room for Yellowpatch as she trudged into her nest.

"You know I didn't mean a word of it," Adderfang meowed with mock sincerity.

"Yeah right, and hedgehogs might fly," Yellowpatch retorted, sniffing as she curled into her feather-lined nest, "Really, Adderfang, you should respect your elders."

"That's funny coming from you, considering I'm three moons older," Adderfang meowed with a smirk. Ignoring his comment, Yellowpatch turned to Lilypaw.

"Time for a tick inspection, huh?" She huffed bad-temperedly. "On with it, then." Lilypaw moved towards the old tabby she-cat, sitting down beside her and gently brushing her fur aside with the tips of her claws. Ashpaw wrinkled her nose as she tucked into Adderfang's ticks, her pale amber eyes narrowed with disgust.

"You haven't been a medicine cat apprentice long, have you, Lilypaw?" Adderfang asked.

"No, not long," Lilypaw replied, just as Ashpaw burst out, "Almost half a moon, like Nightpaw and I!"

"I didn't know the entire litter were becoming medicine cats," Yellowpatch meowed sarcastically.

"I meant we were apprenticed as warrior trainees, of course," Ashpaw responded, sounding a bit peevish.

"Does that mean that tomorrow night is your first trip to the Moonpool?" Adderfang continued his questioning.

"Well, no," Lilypaw meowed awkwardly, "I went there once to be accepted as Lastsong's apprentice, remember?"

"Doesn't that normally happen on the half moon?" Yellowpatch demanded.

"Well, sometimes, yeah. Most of the time, maybe. But Lastsong didn't seem that concerned about it…" Lilypaw murmured. She thought about her induction as a medicine cat. It had been odd, in a way. Only a few cats had come to see her, not the whole host of StarClan as she had expected. Whitefeather had been there. She told Lilypaw that she had a great destiny in store for her. Then Lilypaw was shown a vision of four beautiful stars. Pieces of the stars began to break off and lose their shine, but then they gravitated towards one another, bonded, and began to shine all the more brightly as a fifth star—a star that almost rivaled the moon in its glory.

"It'll be exciting for you to meet the other medicine cats," Adderfang observed with a slight nod of his head.

"I hope they'll like me. I'm a little nervous." Lilypaw dabbed one of the ticks with her moss, watching as it fell off. She stooped so that she could see it clearly as she pierced it with a claw and killed it.

"There's nothing to be nervous about," Adderfang soothed.

"No cat in their right minds would dislike you," Yellowpatch added in a harsh tone, as if daring any cat to try. Lilypaw was touched by her words, but tried not to show it, since Yellowpatch would probably start babbling about how she didn't really mean anything special by her words.

"You should stop being so uptight," Ashpaw sniffed. "Whether they like you or not doesn't matter. You've got skills, and that's all that's really important."

"Well said," Adderfang chuckled. Lilypaw smiled slightly, pleased that her Clanmates were defending her. Ashpaw might be biased, but Lilypaw still felt better.

"It will be a new chapter in your life," Yellowpatch said, surprisingly solemn, "You shouldn't miss a moment of it." Lilypaw smiled slightly.

"Wow," Adderfang meowed.

"What?" Yellowpatch challenged gruffly.

"You said something meaningful for once." Lilypaw had to duck aside to avoid the wad of moss that Yellowpatch chucked at her denmate.

* * *

><p>Author's Note: Thanks for reading on :) Let me know what you think of the story so far. And definitely give input on what characters you like. That may help me come up with different events in the future of the story ;) Anyways, thank you for reading and please favreview!

-LionRoaR


	3. Chapter Two

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Warriors or any ideas associated with Erin Hunter. Thanks. Well, I hope you enjoy the chapter! :) -LRR**  
><strong>

**Warriors: United**

:.~*~.:

**Chapter Two**

The tall pine trees stood like silent sentinels on either side of the tom's path. Glancing about with thoughtful, deep blue eyes, the cat seemed undecided about his next course of action. With a slight sigh he moved into the shadows of the trees, feeling their cool shade envelop his dark grey fur. Parting his jaws, the tom tasted the air for any signs of prey. He frowned. For a moment, he thought he had smelled…

"Oof!" The tom grunted as he was bowled off his feet by a white whirlwind of trouble. Looking up into a pair of narrow black eyes, the tom struggled and hissed.

"That's the ninth time I've caught you. You'd think you would could to expect it, huh, Ravenpaw?"

"Get off me, Swanpaw." The white she-cat twitched her whiskers at him and, with a cheeky wink, complied. Ravenpaw shook himself out and turned to glare at his denmate. Swanpaw was long-limbed and long-furred, with a sort of arrogant confidence about her that irritated cats to no end. Still, Ravenpaw couldn't help noticing the scars that had only just healed on her shoulders. She always seemed to have some sort of wound, and he knew he wasn't the only cat who noticed.

"So," Swanpaw drawled, "Where's that ever-watchful mentor of yours? Still flirting with Brackentail?"

"Naturally," Ravenpaw replied with a sigh, "What else does she ever do?" He hated to talk badly about Whistlingwind, but it had been days since she'd taken him out for battle training. The only action he ever got outside the camp was that which he sought for himself. And no cat ever blamed him for wandering off when he such a flippant mentor.

"Not much, if my observations have any weight to them." Swanpaw looked at Ravenpaw with the smile of a co-conspirator. "Hey, do you want to go check the ThunderClan border with me?"

"Aren't you supposed to be hunting with Ratpaw?" Ravenpaw glanced in the direction of the ThunderClan border. He'd been there before, obviously, but only a few times. Usually, he liked to stick to his territory and he didn't like to go anywhere near the Greenleaf twoleg-place.

"Sure, but Ratpaw can manage on his own and I can manage to hunt on the way. You'll help me, won't you?" One side of Swanpaw's mouth tipped upwards—it was something of her signature half-grin, and no cat could do it quite as well as she could. Ravenpaw sighed.

"Fine," he meowed. "Let's go, then."

The two apprentices made their way through the pine forest, walking side by side but keeping a small gap between them so that their pelts didn't brush. Ravenpaw personally didn't mind Swanpaw's company, even if she could annoy him sometimes. But Swanpaw wasn't the type of cat that liked close relationships. She was pretty shallow when it came to friendship, and Ravenpaw didn't really expect her to ever be straight with him, so he didn't figure it was worth it trying to get to know her. Most cats treated Swanpaw the same way. They all understood why she liked her boundaries.

The hunting was pretty scarce near the border. Ravenpaw tried to focus on scenting out prey, but the stench of ThunderClan was overpowering. Wrinkling his nose, the tom stared out at the deciduous trees across the Greenleaf-place.

"Let's move farther down the border," Swanpaw suggested, "There'll probably be more prey there." He nodded, following her down the line of trees that marked the border with ThunderClan. Ravenpaw felt bad for dragging Swanpaw away from her patrol, even if it wasn't his fault. _I hope she doesn't get in trouble. _Ravenpaw started when he heard a noise on the opposite side of the border. A sleek tortoiseshell she-cat padded into the open, her green eyes darting between the two apprentices. Ravenpaw relaxed when he recognized her.

"Hi, Briarpaw," he said warily, "We were just…"

"You don't have to explain yourself," Briarpaw meowed with an amused grin. "And I'm not Briarpaw now. I'm Briarheart."

"You're a warrior now?" Ravenpaw breathed, "Wow. Congratulations!"

"Thanks," Briarheart purred. She glanced warily at Swanpaw, who was staring back with narrowed, dark eyes.

"Anyways, you should get moving before my patrol catches up." Briarheart mewed, "They wouldn't like to find you here."

"Why not?" Swanpaw snapped, "We're on the right side of the border."

"Two apprentices without their mentors, frolicking on the border? It's enough to entice a few snide comments, at least. Don't you want to represent your Clan well?" Briarheart looked at Swanpaw through narrowed eyes. Ravenpaw shuffled his weight from paw to paw nervously. He'd been friends with Briarheart since they'd met at his first Gathering, and Swanpaw had always seemed venomous towards her, though why he couldn't figure out.

"Let's just go, Swanpaw," he said quietly. Swanpaw rounded on him and looked like she was going to protest. Then the fire died out of her eyes and she sighed.

"Yeah," she muttered, "Let's go." The white she-cat trudged off away from the border. Ravenpaw turned back to Briarheart and smiled.

"Nice to see you."

"You, too," she replied, her expression hard to read. Ravenpaw, a bit unnerved, turned and darted after Swanpaw. He found her standing at the base of a tall pine, her fur fluffed up and her dark eyes simmering dangerously.

"Why are you always so friendly with her?" Swanpaw spat, "Don't you have any loyalty to your Clan?" Ravenpaw frowned at her. What was she talking about?

"The warrior code says that we can have friendships in other Clans," he mewed. "What's wrong with being friends with Briarheart?"

"Is that all it is?" Swanpaw's eyes narrowed until they were dark slits framed by snowy white fur, "Just friends?"

"Of course," Ravenpaw responded, "What else would it be?" Swanpaw sighed and looked away. Blinking, Ravenpaw was about to ask her what was wrong with her when a deep voice said,

"There you are." Swanpaw started and a flash of fear twisted her features for a moment before it was replaced with the cool expression she usually wore. Ravenpaw turned to see a dark tabby tom emerging from the undergrowth. Swanpaw's mentor had thin amber eyes and a large lower jaw that sagged slightly, revealing one of his incisor teeth.

"Ratpaw wanted to hunt on his own," Swanpaw meowed softly, her eyes no longer burning with the fire Ravenpaw was so used to seeing, "And I found Ravenpaw by himself, so I was going to…"

"'By himself?'" Dogjaw's eyes darted to Ravenpaw. Chills darted down the tom's spine as he looked up at the large warrior who seemed to have a permanent scowl carved into his face.

"Whistlingwind was busy and told me to go hunting," Ravenpaw meowed coolly, "So I did. I can take care of myself."

"Oh?" Dogjaw curled his lip, revealing his overly long incisor tooth, "So now you think you're entitled to follow your own rules just because of who your father is?"

Ravenpaw fought the urge to hiss. He frowned slightly and struggled to keep his voice under control, "I don't see how it has anything to do with you."

"Fine, then," Dogjaw snarled softly, turning his attention back to Swanpaw. "You, come with me." Swanpaw flinched and lowered her head as she followed the tom deeper into the pine forest. Ravenpaw watched her go, and felt as if rain had suddenly started pouring down on his head when he saw Swanpaw look back at him with her dark eyes full of sadness and fear.

Ravenpaw couldn't focus after his run-in with Swanpaw. Everything that had happened had confused him, and he ended up only bringing a blackbird back with him to camp. Slipping into the mesh of brambles that surrounded the ShadowClan camp, Ravenpaw wound his way through the thorn tunnel and into the clearing. Branches hung low over the little hollow, and bramble thickets made up a row of neatly ordered dens. The fresh-kill pile sat neatly tucked into a corner, sheltered by an overhanging pine branch. Ravenpaw saw one of the queens, Darklight, sitting outside the nursery with her kits Jaguarkit and Moonkit wrestling nearby. Two of the other apprentices, Ratpaw and Shallowpaw, were sitting together beneath the crooked branch that covered their den. Ratpaw looked pleased with himself, which made Ravenpaw think that his hunt must have gone well. Shallowpaw, contrarily, looked somber and stoic, as he always did. Ravenpaw was about to drop his blackbird onto the pile when he thought of the elders. _I'll take this to them, _he thought. _If they don't want it, I can always just bring it to Milkyeye and see if he or Sightpaw want it. _Trotting towards the elder's den, Ravenpaw was just about to slip inside when he heard a voice behind him.

"Ravenpaw!" He turned at the shrill voice of his mentor. Whistlingwind was a somewhat pretty dark grey she-cat with slanted green eyes. Her whiskers were twitching violently, which Ravenpaw knew meant she was irritated.

"Yeah?" Ravenpaw asked, laying the bird down at his paws and trying to keep his composure. _She has nothing to be irked about, _he thought. _She's the one that's been ignoring me. _

"We were supposed to train this morning," Whistlingwind informed him.

"You said we'd leave at dawn, and I waited until after sunhigh," Ravenpaw said, managing to keep his voice level, "I wanted to go hunting. Or would you rather I had remained empty-bellied for the whole day because of my duty to the warrior code?" The apprentice's eyes glittered with anger. Whistlingwind frowned at him.

"You shouldn't disrespect your mentor," she hissed at him softly, so that the other cats in the clearing couldn't hear. Ravenpaw finally lost his temper.

"And you shouldn't neglect your apprentice just because Brackentail wants to chase your tail all day," Ravenpaw spat back, earning a few wide-eyed looks from the cats nearest him. Snatching up his prey, Ravenpaw slipped into the Elder's den and tried to get his fur to lie flat again. Looking up, he saw that Mangefur and Starlingfeather, the Clan's two Elders, were sitting in their nests with a slim, light grey tom crouched over Mangefur's tangled pelt.

"Ah, some defter paws," Mangefur meowed, "At last! Sightpaw tends to tear at my poor tangled fur more than he teases," the Elder said gruffly. Sightpaw, ShadowClan's medicine cat apprentice, sniffed.

"Be grateful I didn't chew your fur off in clumps," he meowed.

Mangefur, completely ignoring Sightpaw, turned to Ravenpaw and glanced at the blackbird, nodding slightly, "Finally some apprentices are doing their job. I thought Swanpaw would have come by now, but it seems she has other plans." The Elder sighed.

"Swanpaw was injured," Sightpaw informed the old tomcat, "Milkyeye is probably still treating those scratches."

"What happened?" Ravenpaw asked, alarmed.

"Swanpaw and Dogjaw came back from hunting a little while ago," Starlingfeather meowed from her nest, her cool amber eyes looking calm as always within the soft grey mask of her fur, "Swanpaw had fallen or something of that nature. She was pretty banged up, poor cat."

"Clumsy _and _lazy," Mangefur muttered, "She always makes excuses and gets herself hurt so that she doesn't have to work."

"That's not true!" Ravenpaw exclaimed. The three other cats glanced at him curiously. "S-Swanpaw works hard, just like every other cat," he added, feeling a little nervous with their staring.

"You can't blame her for having a bad attitude," Sightpaw meowed matter-of-factly, "Most cats in the Clan don't trust her just because her father was a rouge."

"It _is _unfair," Starlingfeather sighed.

"This is what happens when cats aren't loyal to the Clan," Mangefur said solemnly, "Swanpaw's mother should have known better."

"Iceleaf was young and foolish," Starlingfeather murmured, "As were we, once." Mangefur bristled slightly and turned his face away. Ravenpaw blinked in surprise. Mangefur _was _a cranky sort of cat, but he usually didn't take things _personally. Is there something deeper in what Starlingfeather just said? _He wondered.

"Um, Starlingfeather?" Ravenpaw asked tentatively, hoping to change the subject to something more interesting.

"Yes, Ravenpaw?"

"I saw Briarpaw on the border today."

"Really?" Starlingfeather shuffled in her nest and turned her bright eyes on the apprentice.

"She's a warrior now. Her name is Briarheart."

"How lovely!" Starlingfeather beamed. "I knew her mother and father well. They would have been so proud." Ravenpaw pricked his ears. He'd heard that Briarpaw—Briar_heart's_—parents had died in a fox attack, but he'd never asked to know more. It had always seemed like too sore a subject to ask Briarheart, and he didn't really believe in getting information secondpaw.

"Are you going to leave that bird there all day or can I eat it?" Mangefur interrupted, his fur fluffed up a little. Ravenpaw brought it up to the old cat's nest. He tapped Sightpaw's shoulder with his tail and watched the apprentice turn his head in his direction. Sightpaw's soft blue-grey eyes were blurry and had little blotches of white in them that always seemed to take a different shape. A tiny sliver of clear silver-blue hovered in his right eye, though, and he could apparently see just a little out of it. Even so, most cats still considered Sightpaw to be completely blind.

"I'll take over if you don't mind," Ravenpaw meowed, dreading going back to the clearing where Whistlingwind might still be around.

"Knock yourself out," Sightpaw mewed. "I'll send Swanpaw back to deal with Starlingfeather's ticks." With a farewell flick of his tail, Sightpaw left the den.

"He's a nice cat," Starlingfeather sighed. "It's a sad thing that he lost his sight."

"I thought he was born that way," Ravenpaw mewed, surprised.

"Well, I suppose in a way he was. His mother called him Softkit for a while, and he seemed perfectly normal. But then his eyes began clouding up slowly after he caught a mild infection or something like that. I'm surprised you don't remember, Ravenpaw. You were with him in the nursery at the time."

"Ravenpaw's only two moons older," Mangefur mumbled, seemingly lulled by Ravenpaw's gentle teasing at his fur, "Still, he _should _remember. The whole thing was a horrible business."

"Poor Sightpaw. He was crushed. His mother practically disowned him." Starlingfeather shook her head and rested her chin on her paws, her pale eyes staring off into the distance, as if she were remembering.

"But he likes being a medicine cat, doesn't he?" Ravenpaw ventured quietly.

"Well enough," a new voice uttered, and Ravenpaw started and flushed with embarrassment as Sightpaw reentered. His face looked almost frozen into some sort of half-expression, so it was hard to tell whether he was upset or not. "Swanpaw's injuries are a bit worse than I'd thought. She must have tumbled into several thorn bushes or _something_. Anyways, Milkyeye sent her to rest so I'll be searching you for ticks, Starlingfeather."

"You've done quite enough in here, young cat," Starlingfeather meowed, "You care for us gossiping lumps of fur all day and never have any time to relax. Go and tell some stories to Jaguarkit and Moonkit. I know you like to and they love to listen." Sightpaw stared in Starlingfeather's direction, his expression still unreadable.

"Are you sure?" He asked finally.

"Of course," Mangefur snapped, "You can't be a super-apprentice all the time. Milkyeye works you like you're his slave. You need to relax more often." Sightpaw frowned slightly, and Ravenpaw smiled at him reassuringly even though he knew the tom couldn't see it.

"You _should _go, Sightpaw. The half moon trip is tomorrow, isn't it?"

"Yeah," Sightpaw sighed.

"Then go rest and keep up your strength. I'll deal with the ticks." Sightpaw hesitated for a moment longer and then he dipped his head and left. Ravenpaw was glad that he had taken their advice. He felt a bit sheepish at being caught talking about the blind apprentice, and he didn't mind spending some time alone with the two Elders. Besides, helping them meant he didn't have to face Whistlingwind for a while.

"I couldn't help but overhear," Mangefur meowed, "But you're upset with your mentor, are you not?" Ravenpaw flushed. Sometimes he wondered if the Elders could read his mind.

"Well… Whistlingwind doesn't really pay a lot of attention to me, and then she gets mad when I do stuff on my own. It's not fair!" the apprentice almost wailed.

"You should tell Swallowstar that your mentor is worthless and ask him to give you a new one," Mangefur said with a disdainful look on his face, "Whistlingwind is about as attentive as a dormouse. She's not fit to be a mentor."

"I don't want the Clan to think that I can get what I want just because my father is Clan Leader," Ravenpaw murmured.

"This isn't a matter of who your father is, Ravenpaw," Starlingfeather meowed, "It's a matter of your training and how well your mentor is looking after you. If Whistlingwind is not performing her duties, you need to tell Swallowstar about it." Ravenpaw sighed. He loved his father, and the two of them got along very well, especially after Ravenpaw's mother died. But that closeness had come at a price when cats began whispering behind Ravenpaw's back, saying he was spoiled and that Swallowstar let him do whatever he wanted because he was his son. Ravenpaw didn't like being the butt of rumors, and he especially hated other cats badmouthing his father. He hadn't been apprenticed long, but Ravenpaw had decided not long after he moved into his new den that he wouldn't bother his father anymore. It was better for them to be… apart. Even if Swallowstar _was _Ravenpaw's only family. _It's the price I have to pay. My father deserves his Clan's respect and I need to do what I can to help that along. _

A rustling outside the den told Ravenpaw that another cat was going to enter. He looked up, his ears pricked. He felt his mouth grow slack when he saw the familiar ornery face and the narrow black eyes of Swanpaw. She was covered in bits of green goop and some leaves that held Milkyeye's poultices in place on her wounds. In her mouth she carried a finch. When she noticed the blackbird at Mangefur's paws, her eyes became tiny slits.

"I'll take that if you please," Starlingfeather meowed good-naturedly, "Mangefur is hungry so it's probably best if he gets his own piece of fresh-kill." Swanpaw dropped the bird at Starlingfeather's paws and stared for a moment before turning back to Ravenpaw. She said nothing, but the look they shared made him feel uneasy. _What exactly happened? _He wanted to ask.

Instead, he dipped his head and said, "I'm sorry for distracting you from your hunt earlier." Mangefur and Starlingfeather shared a look, obviously surprised to hear that _Ravenpaw _was the one annoying Swanpaw, instead of the other way around.

Swanpaw stared at him for a moment, as if surprised to hear this from him, as well. _Do all my Clanmates think I can do no wrong? _He thought, irritated. Finally Swanpaw just nodded slightly. "It's fine," she mewed quietly.

"I don't suppose you'd care to help me out with my ticks?" Starlingfeather asked with a soft sigh, "I think I have one just behind my shoulder where I can't reach it and Ravenpaw still has to deal with Mangefur's _pelt." _Starlingfeather looked at Mangefur pointedly and the cranky old tom sniffed and turned away from her. Swanpaw glanced at her and then shrugged.

"Sure," she meowed, "No problem." Scooping up the mouse-bile that Sightpaw had left for Ravenpaw, she began to sort through Starlingfeather's fur with her dainty white paws. Ravenpaw watched her with interest, surprised at how gentle she was. Even her expression softened a little, despite the wrinkling in her nose at the mouse-bile's scent.

"So," Starlingfeather meowed, glancing at Ravenpaw, "Briarheart is a warrior. It's always good to see a young cat fulfilling her duties. No matter what Clan she is in." The elder glanced at Mangefur, and Ravenpaw saw that he still looked irritated—even more so, actually.

"Sometimes duty isn't always the most important thing," the old tom snapped quite suddenly, surprising the two apprentices. But Starlingfeather just sighed and looked away. She always seemed to be trying to say something to Mangefur, but Ravenpaw still hadn't figured out what exactly it was. The tension in the den was making him feel uncomfortable, though, so he decided he had to speak up.

"I hope Dogjaw will let me train with you sometimes," he meowed to Swanpaw, who started at the sound of her mentor's name, much to Ravenpaw's surprise. "That way I won't end up living as an apprentice the rest of my life."

"There are other mentors," Swanpaw responded quietly, and Ravenpaw frowned. He knew that Dogjaw was intimidating, but Swanpaw seemed to really be _afraid _of him. Looking closely at her scratches, Ravenpaw wondered what _exactly _had happened after she'd left with Dogjaw.

"Yeah, well," Mangefur interrupted, surprising Ravenpaw, "At least Dogjaw does his job, unlike _some _young warriors who don't seem to understand the honor of the responsibility they've been given. I'm tempted to go and give Whistlingwind a scolding myself!" He huffed.

"You'd better not," Starlingfeather meowed with an amused twitch of her whiskers, "You may scare her fur off."

"Good!" The tom sniffed. Ravenpaw shared a look with Swanpaw and smiled to himself. _I'm happy to be here, _he thought. _Even if my mentor doesn't care about me my Clanmates do. _He looked up at Swanpaw again to see that she looked pained and her shoulder was hunched slightly. _Her wounds must be hurting. _Ravenpaw thought.

"So how did you get those scratches?" He asked. Swanpaw looked up at him quickly, and he felt chilled to the bone by the look in her eyes.

"Fell in a thorn bush," she muttered before looking back down at Starlingfeather's fur. But it was too late. Ravenpaw had already seen the look in her eyes, and no matter how quickly she'd hidden it he would never mistake its meaning:

Swanpaw was afraid.

* * *

><p>Author's Note:<p>

Thank you all for reading my story :) I hope you liked the chapter. Please review/fav if you liked! (or review even if you didn't like ;) ). Muchas gracias all!

Oh, and I also want to note that this series is rated T for some mild swearing (nothing terrible, I promise... I don't swear so it's hard enough to drop a few D words here and there) and some serious content. I will warn you of chapters that contain such heavy stuff, but this story will deal with a lot of different kinds of abuse, and content relating to this may not be suitable for all readers. Well, thanks everyone! :)

-LionRoaR


	4. Chapter Three

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Warriors or any ideas associated with Erin Hunter. Yeah. Okay. Well, thanks for reading and hope you enjoy! :D - LRR

**Warriors: United**

:.~*~.:

**Chapter Three **

The world seemed to sway, dark and cool and just… _everywhere. _Sound did not exist for a moment. Everything was good, whole. He was just a part of the world, a part of the ebb and flow, a piece of essence that hovered in the depths. And then the moment ended; a hollow aching in his lungs told the tomcat that it was time to surface and return to his reality. Thrusting out his hind paws, the cat shot up to the river's surface, his head erupting from the water with a quiet _plop! _

"There you are, Rainpaw. I thought you had drowned for a moment." Rainpaw's mentor, Hollowtree, stared at him with narrowed green eyes. The tom had plain brown fur and a long scar across his nose. He had something of a reputation for having a prickly disposition, though Rainpaw put up with it just fine. The apprentice moved through the water like a fish, his body slipping onto the shore without a sound. Not even bothering to shake out his fur, Rainpaw turned his attention to Hollowtree. He waited patiently for the cat to speak, knowing Hollowtree wouldn't care about anything his apprentice said anyways. "You certainly took your time under there. Are the fish all hiding?" Rainpaw ignored the sarcastic tone in Hollowtree's voice and tipped his head to the side slightly.

"I'll try again," he said finally, though he knew that he wouldn't have much luck. His sister had scared off most of the fish in this part of the river, and of course had blamed it on Rainpaw, leaving him to deal with Hollowtree's vengeful punishment. Diving into the water, Rainpaw moved through it as if he were born to swim, which, as a RiverClan apprentice, he may have just been. Catching sight of shimmery silver scales tucked beneath the bulrushes, Rainpaw swooped through the water and reached out to catch the fish. It tried to slip between his paws, but he had cornered it and the kill wasn't difficult. Clamping his jaws down on the fish, Rainpaw struck out for the surface, waiting to see what Hollowtree's reaction to his pike would be.

"That's all that's down there?" Hollowtree asked scathingly as Rainpaw set the fish at his paws. The apprentice bit the inside of his lip, fighting to keep his indignation inside. What did he expect? No cat ever recognized his efforts. Without saying a word, Rainpaw tried again and again, managing to catch two more fish before Hollowtree finally said it was enough.

"Your sister could have done better," the tom snapped as he picked up the pike and began to trudge back to camp. Rainpaw seethed as he picked up the two fish his mentor had left, dragging them in between his paws. Today was the assessment that should have proven him fit to be a warrior. But his sister, Silverpaw, had ruined everything! She was always so cute and knew how to talk to other cats. Rainpaw, on the other paw, was quiet and didn't like being around others all that much. Shrugging his shoulders, the tom tried to elongate his strides so that the two fish dangling in between his legs didn't trip him. He was big enough already to deal with the task, but he ended up quite a ways behind his mentor due to the cumbersome nature of his kill.

The camp was bustling when Rainpaw returned. Three apprentices were surrounding Silverpaw, who was beaming as she bragged about the two trout at her paws. But no cat noticed Rainpaw as he stalked into camp. Setting his catch on the fresh-kill pile, he sulked off to his den, hoping that no one would begrudge him a nap while his sister was made a warrior without him.

"Where are you off to, Rainpaw?" Rainpaw glanced up, surprised. His leader, Ghoststar, stood with his grey eyes fixed on him. Ghoststar was not impressively large in stature; he was sleek-furred, with lean shoulders but strong muscles hidden by his shaggy grey fur. But even when he didn't look strong, every cat knew that he was. That's why Rainpaw admired him. He didn't have to look the part to be accepted—Ghoststar was leader because of his actions.

"I'm sort of tired," Rainpaw fumbled, his voice deep and smooth, but quiet as always.

"I hope you're not too tired to take a turn with me. I was hoping to take some prey to the elders, since Silverpaw doesn't seem to be up for the task." Ghoststar glanced at Rainpaw's sister with one of his strange looks; it was the sort of expression that made Rainpaw think the leader was hiding whatever he was feeling about the apprentice's actions.

"Okay," Rainpaw meowed. He liked sitting and listening to the Elders talk, so it was no chore for him to help, even now when his spirits were about as low as the dirt caught in between his claws. The apprentice padded to the fresh-kill pile and selected a mouse for Skystorm—they were her favorite, oddly enough—and sniffed out his pike, which would be fresh enough to tempt the weak-stomached Jayflight. Making his way back to Ghoststar with the two pieces of prey lodged in his jaws, Rainpaw followed his leader diligently, trying not to trip on the fish's tail.

"We've brought you some food," Ghoststar announced just as Rainpaw slipped into the hollow log that the Elders lived in. Jayflight was sitting with his tail draped over his mate's shoulder. Skystorm blinked at him affectionately and then turned to Rainpaw.

"What a splendid catch! And is that a mouse I see?" Rainpaw set the prey down in front of the elders and smiled weakly.

"He knows how much you like them," Jayflight meowed with a solemn nod, "Rainpaw doesn't forget the details. Unlike his sister," the tom sighed. Rainpaw blinked in surprise. He had rarely heard his Clanmates saying anything negative about Silverpaw.

"Don't be surprised, youngster," Skystorm meowed with an amused smile on her face, "We're not blind. We can tell what apprentices are feeling when they're around us. We've seen enough of them." Ghoststar watched with a neutral expression on his face. Rainpaw shrugged his shoulders, trying not to look nervous.

"And a little birdie told me," Jayflight meowed, twitching his whiskers, "That Silverpaw caught two fish, but you caught three."

"Hers were bigger," Rainpaw amended. Skystorm snorted.

"You're always defending her, Rainpaw, and you don't even realize it." Rainpaw frowned slightly and shuffled his weight from paw to paw, feeling antsy.

"Silverpaw is a good apprentice," he said, his voice rising to what for a normal cat would be an average volume, but what to him felt like shouting, "She does her work and doesn't complain. She's friendly and pretty and cats like her. She will be a great warrior." Jayflight glanced at Skystorm and smiled slightly.

"We've seen a few generations pass through here, youngster. We know what makes a good warrior and what makes a great warrior. Silverpaw will be a good warrior. You, on the other paw, will be a great one." Rainpaw flushed. Why were the Elders saying all this now, with Ghoststar present? But… maybe they were trying to help him? If it were up to Hollowtree, he would never become a warrior. So maybe the Elders were trying to plead his case with Ghoststar? But that felt underhanded to Rainpaw. He wanted to become a warrior fair and square, based on his skills, not his attitude towards the Elders.

"There's nothing great about me," he meowed finally, his voice soft once more, "No one ever notices me. Everyone always praises Silverpaw, but I'm just… in the shadows." Rainpaw sighed.

"It's not always a bad thing not to be recognized for greatness," Jayflight meowed, his eyes softening, "I remember my first apprentice. He was shy and hard on himself. But he had a caring heart, and his Clanmates soon began to see that even if he didn't say a lot, what he _did _say mattered." Rainpaw pricked his ears slightly, curious. He'd never heard of Jayflight's apprentice before. But then, the old cat rarely talked about himself. He preferred to tell legends and stories of heroes.

"Well, you did teach me a lot of the skills I needed," Ghoststar meowed suddenly. Rainpaw started, looking up at his leader.

_"You _were Jayflight's apprentice?"

"Yes, I was. He taught me everything I know." Ghoststar turned to the old cat with a fond smile. Jayflight tipped his head forward slightly and then stood shakily to his paws.

"So shall we get on with it, then? I've been hankering for some exercise all day." The tom purred. Rainpaw waited for Skystorm to follow him, but instead Ghoststar nodded his head.

"Come on, Rainpaw. We're going for a walk." Jayflight meowed, and the look in his eyes unnerved the apprentice. As Ghoststar and Jayflight made their way out of the den, Rainpaw was left feeling dumbfounded.

"Go after them," Skystorm encouraged, burrowing herself more deeply into her nest with a contented smile, "You've got to prove yourself, don't you?" Rainpaw stared at her with his dark blue eyes, framed by the dark stripes that covered his golden tabby pelt. Then, a slight grin appeared at the corner of his mouth, pulling at it until it grew big enough to be recognizable.

"Yeah," he said finally, turning to sprint after his leader and the old grey cat beside him, "I will!"

* * *

><p>Author's Note: For some reason I really love Rainpaw. Don't really know why exactly... Maybe it's because he's like me? Hm. Well, I luvz him and that's what's important lol. Thanks for reading and hope you're looking forward to the next chapter! :D<p>

-LionRoaR


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